Vol. XVII. 

 1917 



] Campbell and Barnard, Birds of N. Queensland. 



we made a census of 50 species of birds heard or seen that day, 

 notably the following northern species : — Sun-Bird, Malurus 

 amabilis. Yellow Fig-Bird, He] meted Friar-Bird, Ptilotis flava 

 and gracilis. Black Butcher-Bird, White-browed Robin, Yellow 

 Gerygone, Yellow Flycatcher, Spectacled Flycatcher, &c. 



The Cardwell district is, par excellence, the place for bird 

 observing, both as regards variety and number. You have sea and 

 shore to explore, mud-flats and mangrove patches, tea-tree tracts, 

 grassy glades, reedy swamps, open eucalypt forest, tall timber, 

 dense scrubs, water-courses and fern gullies, mountains, and the 

 mysteries of a table-land — all having their quota of characteristic 

 birds. 



Here are three scenes that the camera could not record : — 

 (a) Birds seen at one time in corner of scrub : Party of Lovely 

 Blue-Wrens (M. amabilis), party of Blood-backed Wrens, Rusty 

 Thrush, Carinated Flycatcher, Rufous Fantail, Yellow Gerygone. 

 {h) Bird -observing in a mosquito-infested forest : In adjacent 

 trees were Carinated, Northern, Leaden, and Yellow-tinted Fly- 

 catchers, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Rufous Thickhead, Dusky Honey- 

 eater, (c) Birds in a nook of the hills at nearly 2,000 feet : 

 Rifle-Bird, Cat-Bird, Toothbill, Grey Fantail, Lewin Honey-eater, 

 Fly-Robin, Swainson Graucalus, Fruit-Pigeons, Strepera, and 

 Yellow-fronted Scrub- Wren. 



We concluded our three months' observations with the end of 

 October. With the development of the season, had we remained 

 during November, we would probably have doubled our work. As 

 it was, we identified 200 species, secured skins of 123 kinds, and 

 noted 52 breeding, besides obtaining innumerable notes and about 

 five dozen successful half-plate photographs. 



We are indebted to our honorary member, Mr. H. L. White, 

 *' Belltrees " (N.S.W.), for his interest manifested in our research, 

 and for his kind assistance by the aid of his famous collection in 

 helping to identify the bird-skins. We deemed it advisable to 

 omit the few sea-birds, mostly of wide-spread range, noted about 

 Rockingham Bay. To Mr. White we are also indebted for the 

 expense of engraving six of the fine photo. -blocks for the illus- 

 trations of this article. 



Here follow detailed observations and criticisms : nomenclature 

 according to the "Check-list," R.A.O.U., with G. M. Matthews's 

 trinominal equivalents — " List, 1913 " : — 



Casuarius australis. Cassowary. 



Casuarius casuarius johnsonii. 



The " big bird of the scrubs " was seen on two occasions in the 

 luxuriant undergrowth that clothes the hollows of the hills, and 

 Cassowary tracks were frequently noticed in the scrubs along the 

 Upper Murray River. 



At his selection, near Cardwell, Mr. W. A. Pershouse stated, a fine 

 Cassowary used to visit the orchard when the guavas were ripe. The 

 bird picked the fruit off the tree and bolted it whole. Mr. Brice Henry, 

 who accompanied the Sugar Commission on a local visit, narrates 



